


Under the Mistletoe

by AwesomeMango7



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Arguing, Bad Parenting, Bittersweet, Christmas, Danny hates Christmas, Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, No Smut, OOC, One-Shot, Open Ending, Peer Pressure, Pompous Pep, Start of a Crush, Vlad Fire core, We All Knew This, christmas truce party, just some making out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:20:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwesomeMango7/pseuds/AwesomeMango7
Summary: Phantom and Plasmius are pressured to kiss under the Mistletoe by the other ghosts, and they don't completely hate it. In fact, they might even want to do it again.
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters, Pompous Pep - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	Under the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Heeyyyy. Sorry I haven't updated Connected Souls in a while. I've been pretty busy lately. Hopefully this makes up for it though! Happy holidays, everyone!

It was December. Almost Christmas time, in fact. And the tension at home was getting pretty high at that point. Despite the fact that their house was decorated in pretty green and red colors and there was a beautifully decorated tree set up in their living room, the atmosphere was far from jolly or happy.   
  
While other families were sitting around their dinner tables, dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters and laughing joyously with the people they loved, the Fenton family was _not._ Danny could not remember a single Christmas in his life that he had actually enjoyed. Most of the Holliday was spent sitting uncomfortably in various places of the house while his parents argued endlessly about ridiculous things.  
  
It always started with the argument of whether or not _Santa Clause_ was real and then would spiral into something else. It’s like all the built-up tension they didn’t fight about over the year was finally released during the whole month of December. Despite the fact that they occasionally argued over Jack’s absentmindedness, and Maddie’s habit of getting entirely consumed by her work, the two of them never really argued at any other time. Even Jazz had started to join the petty arguments during this time, trying her hardest to be the mediator, but she always failed miserably when her parents failed to listen. She would get so frustrated at times that even she would lose her temper. Danny wouldn’t dare join the arguments, refusing to contribute to the misery.   
  
But holding back only caused him to become stressed. And angry. And tension would build in his frame, making him want to destroy everything in sight. To take out his frustrations, he actually started to seek out mischievous ghosts so he could fight. It was better than snapping and yelling at his parents, joining whatever argument was happening at that time. He flew around the city, light snow falling from the sky. His parents and sister were back at home, probably still arguing about something pointless, and Danny _needed_ to take his anger out. He followed his ghost sense, seeking out the nearest ghost to him. For once in his (half) life, he hoped that they’d be causing trouble so he could kick their ass back to the Ghost Zone. Usually, he felt a little inconvenienced by a fight, but this time he felt desperate for it.   
  
He sensed their presence down below in one of the alleyways, so he dove down to see who it was. He saw Ember and Skulker floating together, seemingly caught up in some kind of argument. That seemed like all the more reason to fight them— all the arguing was starting to piss him off.  
  
Danny immediately shot an ectoblast in their direction to get their attention. “Hey! Up for a fight, you two?!”   
  
Ember and Skulker both turned around.   
  
“Ghost child!” Skulker exclaimed, weapons springing from his suit. But Ember pushed him back before he could do anything.  
  
“Baby-bop!” She said, looking genuinely excited to see him as she flew closer. Danny charged an ectoblast in his hand, and Ember immediately raised her hands placatingly. “Whoa, calm down! I’m just trying to say hi!”  
  
“Listen, I’m not in a good old right now, so either fight me or get the hell out of here.” Danny glared, bearing his fangs at her threateningly.  
  
“Dude, just hear me out for a sec! I’m trying to tell you something important!” Ember placed her hands on her hips and glared back at him.  
  
Danny sighed heavily and let the ecto-blast fade from his hand. If this was an ambush, he wouldn’t be too disappointed, so he was willing to let his guard down and hear her out. “What do you want?”  
  
“I wanna know if you’ll show up to the Christmas Truce this year.” Ember explained, her form relaxing in an almost friendly way. She still seemed a little on edge, but she knew Danny wouldn’t shoot her unless she gave him a reason to. “You never show up, but this time Plasmius is hosting, so you’ll show, right? You are both halfas, after all.”  
  
Danny frowned. “I wasn’t invited. And Plasmius and I aren’t friends. Being halfas doesn’t change that.”  
  
“All ghosts— _and_ half ghosts— are invited.” Ember smirked at him. “It’s implied. You should stop by and say hello. And the whole point of a truce is that all of us are friends for one night. Will you be my friend and come to the party this year?"  
  
Danny had never gone to a Christmas Truce party besides that one time when Ghost Writer attacked him and all the other ghosts swooped in to help fight him off. But he didn’t go to any after that because he felt awkward about it. Sure, there was a truce and there would be no fighting, but he didn’t really think he’d fit in well. He didn’t really belong, and all of them knew it.   
  
Skulker floated up beside Ember. “Yeah, you should stop by. We’ve always wanted to see you there, but you never come.”  
  
“I-I don’t know...” Danny said, floating back a little bit and crossing his arms uncomfortably. “I’ve never been...”  
  
He wasn't sure how interesting it would be. He'd never had a positive Christmas experience before, and he didn't think going to a party with all of his enemies would be any better than spending Christmas with his parents. At least with his parents, he could hide in his room.  
  
“All the more reason to start now!” Skulker insisted enthusiastically.  
  
“Yeah, Baby-bop! C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Ember said, smiling kindly at him. “And it’s at Plasmius’ place! That guy’s rich! You know he’ll throw a great party! Please? Can you try to stop by?”  
  
Ember gave Danny her equivalent of puppy dog eyes, and Skulker looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Danny felt almost pressured by it, but he knew they meant well.   
  
“I’ll think about it.” Danny conceded, feeling his shoulders slump just ever so slightly. He didn’t know if he wanted to go, but for their sake, he’d at least consider it.   
  
“Great!” Skulker said, his guns once again springing from the hidden compartments in his suit. “Now, ghost child, I’ll have your pelt to adorn my wall!”  
  
Ember grinned and slung her guitar around to her front. “Let’s get to the fun part!”   
  
Danny grinned, once again charging up his ecto-blasts. Finally, someone to take his frustration out on.  
  


* * *

  
  
It was Christmas Eve now, and Maddie and Jack Fenton were arguing across the table about the existence of Santa Clause— their oldest fight. Danny wasn’t sure at this point if his dad genuinely believed he was real or was still trying to keep the belief alive for his children— who were too old to still believe such a thing.   
  
Regardless, they still argued as Danny picked at his dinner. It consisted of stuffing and broccoli. His parents were going to make more, but... they were arguing too much to really get anywhere and they forgot to cook the rest. Jazz had already finished eating her food and had retired to her room, finally burnt out from trying to fight against her parents.  
  
Danny sighed, letting his fork clatter against his plate. He didn’t really have an appetite anymore. “I’m going to my room.” He announced, but his parents didn’t seem to hear him. They didn’t even look in his direction as they continued to fight.   
  
He stood and took his plate to the trash, where he scraped off the food that had long since gone cold, and he made his way up the stairs. When he was halfway up, he paused and looked down at his parents. They didn’t even notice he was gone.   
  
“Goodnight!” He said loudly, hoping to grab their attention. But they still didn’t acknowledge him. They just got louder in their arguing.  
  
Danny frowned in annoyance and marched his way up the rest of the stairs and into his room. He slammed the door behind him. Why did they have to pick _December?_ So many people _loved_ Christmas, or Hanukka, or whatever other holidays there were during this time. But Danny had _never_ had a good Christmas experience, so he’d always hated it.   
  
He hated the colors, the snow, and even the presents. It was always a bad sign. It always meant that his parents were about to scream at each other. Sam often chastised him for being so biased, but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t enjoy Christmas, even when he tried. All he could think about was how his parents were constantly arguing. It made him feel awful.  
  
Danny was about to flop down on his bed and call it a night, praying that he’d fall asleep quickly and Christmas would finally be over, but something on his desk caught his eyes. He looked over to find that it was an envelope. It would have looked normal, if not for the fact that it glowed a faint green. Curious, Danny sat down at his desk and took the envelope into his hands.  
  
It didn’t seem to be addressed to anyone, but the green glow was enough to tell him who it was meant for. He slid his finger under the lip of the letter and ripped it open. He pulled out a handwritten letter, and immediately, Danny knew it was from Vlad. The other halfa was the only person he knew who would actually write him a letter.  
  
It read:  
  
_‘Daniel,_  
  
_I know that the invitation is supposedly implied, but I was informed of your poor record of attendance when it comes to the annual Christmas Truce. Consider this a friendly reminder of its existence. I quite enjoy the idea of having a conversation with you that isn’t an argument. Please consider attending, Little Badger. I’m the host this year, so you should know where to find the party._  
  
_-V. P.’_  
  
Danny sighed as he set the letter down. He could still hear his parents arguing downstairs, and it was starting to give him a headache. Maybe going to the Christmas Truce wasn’t the worst idea. If it gave him a reason to get out of this house, it was a fantastic idea. And since Ember and Skulker had seemed pretty friendly the other day when inviting him, maybe everyone else would be friendly like that as well.  
  
Danny stood from his desk and transformed himself into Phantom, black hair turning to white, sweater and jeans turning to a black and white hazmat suit. He turned himself invisible and intangible and took off through his window and into the sky.   
  
It wasn’t like his parents would know he was gone, even if it was a holiday and families were supposed to be spending time together right now.   
  


* * *

  
  
The party was pretty huge, Danny noted when he phased his way into Vlad’s mansion. The entire place was open for everyone to go, which made sense since literally _every_ _ghost_ Danny knew and _more_ were all there. He even caught a glimpse of Frostbite at some point, and Frostbite _never_ left the Zone. He contemplated going over to say hi, but he changed his mind at the last minute and quickly ducked out of the room and flew into another one.   
  
It wasn’t that he didn’t like Frostbite, he was just... a little overwhelmed. There were so many familiar faces all around him, and lots of them greeted him in passing, welcoming him to the party and wishing him a Merry Christmas. He smiled nervously and wished the same back to each one.   
  
There was faint Christmas music playing, and there were green and red decorations hug up all around the walls. He was surprised by the giant Christmas tree set up next to the fireplace in Vlad’s library. There were presents under the tree, too, and Danny hoped that they were just there for decoration, and not there because he missed some kind of Secret Santa exchange. Hopefully, if it was a Secret Santa thing, he wouldn’t be included since he’d never been asked about it anyway. He’d feel really bad if someone got him a present and he left the other person empty handed.   
  
In the dining room (one of them, at least) there was food set up along a row of tables. Some of it was familiar, like the cheese, crackers, strawberries, a chocolate fountain, and fruit punch (one bowl of fruit punch was labeled ‘for kids,’ and the other was labeled ‘for adults,’ so Danny stuck to the one for kids so he wouldn’t invoke Vlad’s ire if he saw him). But most of the other foods were unfamiliar.   
  
Some of them glowed... and some of them floated. He stayed away from the ones he didn’t know about, not wanting to figure out what side effects they might have on him. It might be fine for ghosts, but who knows what it'd do to a halfa. He hadn’t even known that ghosts ate anything until tonight. He had a little bit of small talk with a few ghosts he didn’t recognize (some of Dora’s subjects, he was proudly told), and he learned that ghosts didn’t _need_ to eat, but they could. And the foods set up were rare delicacies in the Ghost Zone.   
  
Danny felt weird and awkward as he floated around the mansion without any sort of intended destination. There were a lot more ghosts than he’d been expecting. He wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than being at home. Probably better, but... he just didn’t know what to do. He was bad at socializing with normal humans, how could he even hope to do it with ghosts?  
  
He was so used to just... fighting with other ghosts. But that’s not what the Christmas Truce was about. It was about getting along. The irony of that wasn’t lost on Danny. His parents represented the exact opposite of what this party was supposed to be, and it was strange.   
  
He saw so many people he was used to seeing pick a fight, and yet... they were calm. Content. Happy. He could see the Lunch Lady and the Box Ghost socializing quite flirtatiously near the fireplace, and he could see Johnny 13, Kitty, and Sidney Poindexter hanging out over by the adult fruit punch. Sidney coughed after taking a sip from his drink and Kitty laughed while Johnny patted him on the back.  
  
He could see Wulf, who was lounging around in front of the Christmas Tree, and Dora was looking through all the book covers in the library. He’d even seen Walker lurking around, looking moody but still placated. He’d glimpsed Ghostwriter a couple of times, and had immediately vacated the room, not wanting a repeat of what happened between them several years ago.   
  
Being here felt awkward, but based on the kind looks and greetings ghosts gave him as they passed, he seemed welcomed here. And that was better than what he’d get at home with his parents.  
  
“Baby-bop!” A voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts, and he spun around just in time to see Ember jump at him. He braced himself, preparing for an attack, but she only pulled him into her arms for a tight hug.   
  
Danny tensed, eyes wide in confusion and shock as his arms hovered around her awkwardly for a moment. He had to force himself to hug her back, though it was brief and they both pulled away after a moment. Ember still had her hands on Danny’s shoulders, and she was smiling down at him.   
  
“So glad you could make it! How long have you been here?” Ember asked him. She had on a red Christmas sweater that had a picture of a rock with a star sticker on it. Danny couldn’t help but smirk at the pun, which related to Ember’s personality.   
  
“Uhh... maybe um... like ten to fifteen minutes?” Danny answered her question, sounding unsure of himself. He wasn’t really keeping track of time, and there were a lot of distractions in here that prevented him from really knowing.   
  
“Oh man, I’ve been here for like an hour already!” Ember said, releasing Danny as she gestured around the room and floated a little higher. “This place is just so huge! And there’s so many more of us here than normal. I guess everyone was a little excited to see what the old rich guy had to offer.”  
  
“He’s not _old."_ Someone scolded. Danny and Ember turned to see Skulker. His and Danny’s eyes met, and the metal ghost nodded at him. “Ghost child.”  
  
Ember rolled her eyes. “He literally radiates old-timer vibes, Skulker.”  
  
“And yet, he’s the one that threw one of the best Christmas Truce party any of us have ever seen.” Skulker crossed his arms.  
  
“Then it looks like the old-timer knows what he’s doing.” Ember cackled, and Danny couldn’t help but join her. Making fun of Vlad was something he’d always found amusing.  
  
“Old people _do_ have more experience with things.” Danny snickered.   
  
Skulker glared at the two of them. “If we weren’t on a Truce, I’d blast you both right now for being so disrespectful to our host.”  
  
Danny rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t wipe the smug grin from his face. “C’mon, Skulker. We’re just joking around.”  
  
“Yeah, no need to make a big deal outta it.” Ember chimed in. “Besides, it’s not like Plasmius is around to hear it.”  
  
“Hear what, exactly?”  
  
Danny and Ember both froze, and Skulker looked past them over their shoulders. Danny spun around to see Plasmius standing before him in all his ghostly glory. He looked highly unamused.   
  
“Nothing.” Ember said almost too quickly.   
  
Vlad gave her a look, which promptly caused her to shrink down and float a little closer to the ground.   
  
“I think... I’ll just be going.” Ember squeaked, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “Skulker and I are gonna go drink some of the adult punch. Good luck, kid.” She then grabbed Skulker’s arm and pulled him away, even as the metal ghost sputtered and protested.  
  
Vlad sighed, looking a little exhausted. “Hello, Daniel. I’m quite glad you could make it to the party this year.”  
  
Danny looked away, feeling awkward. He wasn’t used to talking to Vlad outside of a hostile environment. “I, uh... yeah. I don’t usually come to these things.”  
  
“And what made you come this year?” Vlad asked, seeming a little concerned.  
  
“Well... Ember, Skulker, and you all personally invited me. And my parents were fighting a lot, as they always do around this time of year. I wanted to get out of the house.” Danny said the last part a little bitterly as he scratched the back of his head and looked down.  
  
“Is that so? I thought they were the perfect couple.” Vlad said with a sarcastic tone, and for just a moment his lips twitched up into a grin.   
  
Danny turned to glare up at him, his frustration nearly coming back to its full extent. He did _not_ come here to get into the same old argument with Vlad. “If you’re gonna start that up, I’ll just leave.” He said, and began to float up towards the ceiling so he could escape. But he was stopped when Vlad grabbed him around the ankle before he could get that far.  
  
“Wait, Daniel, I’m sorry.” Vlad sighed, looking up at the boy apologetically. “Force of habit. You understand, right?”  
  
Danny narrowed his eyes at him and yanked his foot away from the man before he floated back down to eye level. “You get one more chance. If you insult my parents again or ask me to be your evil henchman, I’ll leave immediately. Understand?”  
  
“And if you make any comments about how Maddie chose Jack over me, or how I’m a Fruit Loop, then I’ll kick you out.” Vlad said.  
  
“If I can’t call you Fruit Loop, then you can’t call me Little Badger.” Danny countered, crossing his arms defiantly.  
  
Vlad looked slightly hesitant, but eventually he conceded. _"Fine._ Let’s shake on it to cement it, shall we?” He held out his gloved hand in Danny’s direction.  
  
Danny glanced back and forth between Vlad’s hand and his face for a moment before he reached out and shook it. “Deal.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Besides that first conversation, Danny and Vlad spent most of the rest of the party apart. It had gotten awkward real quick after agreeing not to fight. They weren't really used to being nice to eachother. And even when they were _pretending_ to nice, it was usually with a bunch of backhanded comments and words with hidden insults. Now, it was just weird to be around each other. So Danny made the excuse that he had a few ghosts to talk to, and Vlad, being the host and all that, agreed and made the same excuse.   
  
Danny made use of his excuse and actually _did_ talk to some of the other ghosts. The first being Frostbite, who had quickly swooped him up into a big, heartfelt hug upon seeing him. They talked about Danny’s developing powers and how the Far Frozen was doing. The Yetis all missed him and Danny had to promise that he'd visit them soon. Wulf was much the same when he went to talk to him as well. All big hugs and joy.  
  
He then found Dora and talked to her about how her kingdom had been prospering recently, and he asked Sidney (who was a little drunk) for some help on a math problem he'd been stuck on. Even on Christmas break, his math teacher just _had_ to assign work. Sydney was outraged with the unfairness, but still very happy to help Danny complete his work after he summoned with a spell. That was a very fun and useful new trick he'd discovered recently.   
  
Johnny and Kitty were happy to talk to him a little bit, too, but they were both drunk, too, since they'd been treating Sidney to his first drink and were getting a little too handsy with each other for Danny's taste. When they started trying to get Danny to drink, Vlad just happened to be walking past them and stopped to glare at all of them disapprovingly. Turns out, Vlad had gotten both adult punch and _kid_ punch specifically for the soul fact that Danny was the only underaged person there. Not even Sidney was underaged, since technically he'd been dead longer than he'd ever been alive. It wasn't like Danny had never had alcohol before, but he wasn't about to go against the 'rules' and drink alcohol at the party that _Vlad_ planned. If he did, it would be like he was actually trying to pick a fight.  
  
It took a while for Danny to wheezle his way out of that strange situation and he found a secluded corner of the house with some kid's punch to just be a wallflower. It was relaxing, watching all the other ghosts hang out and communicate with each other in a pleasant manner. He knew ghosts weren't all bad, but it was still nice to be reminded of how harmless they could be when they weren't hungry for power and world domination. He wished it could always be like this.   
  
Later in the night, after Danny had socialized enough to last him the rest of the year, he found himself leaning against a doorframe with Vlad leaning on the other side next to him. He looked just as exhausted as Danny felt. His shoulders were slumped and his red, pupilless eyes were duller than usual. He seemed to gaze lazily around the room, like he was wishing that the party would just end already so he could go to bed. Danny didn't blame him. Hosting a party was exhausting, especially if that party was for a bunch of ghosts.  
  
"You threw a great party," Danny said without looking at him. He might as well let the man know his planning hadn't gone to waste. It honestly was a pretty great party. "The ghosts seem to be enjoying themselves a lot."  
  
Vlad smiled briefly. "I'm glad you think so. Did you enjoy the party as well?"  
  
"Eh," Danny shrugged. "I mean, it's nice. I'd probably have enjoyed it more if I actually _liked_ Christmas. It is pretty nice to not be fighting with everyone, though."  
  
It took a long moment for Vlad to respond. "I... agree." He paused for a moment longer before speaking again. "Are your parents the reason you dislike Christmas? Even in college, they used to fight relentlessly during the month of December."  
  
Danny’s nose scrunched slightly. "Yes. They just... fight so much this time of year. The whole month just sucks to me. I hate the cheer, and the holidays, and--and the _decorations_. All of it, it's just awful."  
  
Vlad snorted and patted Danny’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Fear not, Little Ba-- I mean, Daniel. Christmas isn't all bad. Your parents... have just always been like that during Christmas. You'll learn to enjoy this day once you start to spend it away from them more often. It took me a while to enjoy it again myself after college."  
  
Danny rolled his eyes. He supposed old habits really did die hard. "You can call me Little Badger if you want. I don't mind. Fruit Loop."  
  
Vlad sighed. "I suppose even though I detest that nickname, both of them have stuck, haven't they?"  
  
Danny shrugged and smiled boyishly up at Vlad. "Yup. Why Little Badger, anyway? How'd you come up with it?"  
  
Vlad rolled his eyes. Or at least, Danny thought he did. It was hard to tell when someone didn't have pupils. "Have you not seen yourself?" He gestured at Danny up and down. "Not only does the black and white theme and the messy hair make you look like a badger, but you also have the meddling personality of one."  
  
Danny laughed, grinning so hard that it hurt his cheeks a little. "Is it also because I'm a Hufflepuff?"  
  
Vlad grinned back at him. "I hadn't thought about that until now but I suppose that's another good reason. How did you come up with Fruit Loop?"  
  
Danny playfully rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. It just seemed appropriate in the moment. Just be happy I don't call you a snake, alright?"  
  
Vlad crossed his arms. "What makes you think I'm a Slytherin? I haven't given it much thought, but I believe I'm more of a Ravenclaw."  
  
Danny laughed again, almost spilling his drink. He set it on a nearby table that was against the wall since he was done with it anyway. "Seriously? No way you're a Ravenclaw! I mean, you're like a genius, but your personality is definitely more aimed towards Slytherin. You're very cunning and ambitious. Trust me, it suits you better than Ravenclaw."  
  
Vlad hummed, pink coloring his cheeks slightly as he turned away. "I suppose you're right. I never looked at it that way."  
  
"Baby-bop!" Ember suddenly chimed from somewhere behind them, and Danny turned around to face her. She was grinning at him a little mischievously with Kitty and Dora hanging out beside her. They seemed to be giggling with their hands covering their mouths about some kind of joke that the two halfas weren't in on. "What're you and Plasmius up to, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, you guys talking about anything interesting?" Kitty chimed in with a teasing tone.   
  
"Uh..." Danny frowned. He had no idea why they seemed so amused. Was there something on his face? Did they do something weird? He glanced at Vlad, who seemed just as confused.   
  
"Oh, geez, guys," Sidney said, dragging a hand down his face and looking extremely exasperated. "Are you really doing this to them? It's kinda mean."  
  
"Oh darling, it's not that mean," Spectra said (Danny hadn't even realized she was here until now). "It's just very amusing." She eyed them both up and down and Danny had to suppress an uncomfortable shiver. Spectra was honestly just the worst, but he knew she wouldn't pull anything tonight.  
  
"What are you trying to insinuate?" Vlad asked, his brows starting to furrow in mild irritation.   
  
More ghosts were starting come over to see what was so funny about the two half ghosts who were seemingly innocently standing in a doorway. Danny was starting to feel a little cramped as the crowd got bigger, and he could tell Vlad was starting to feel uncomfortable as well based on the way he was starting to visibly tense up.   
  
Ember snickered and very slowly pointed above their heads. They both looked up, wanting to know what had everyone so amused, only to find... mistletoe hanging above them. Of all things to gather attention, it just had to be that. Did they expect them to kiss?   
  
"Oh..." Danny blushed a bright green. He quickly tried to back out of the doorway, but Dora reached out and grabbed his arm to pull him back before he could.   
  
"You know the rules, Phantom!" Dora said cheerfully. "You guys have to kiss!"  
  
"What." Danny said dumbly, eyes widening. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. Did nobody else realize how inappropriate this was? Maybe they'd let them off with a kiss on the hand or something.  
  
"Yeah! It's a rule!" Kitty giggled. "You can't escape this!"  
  
"You guys have been standing there so long that you can't back out now!" Ember said, cackling to herself in amusement. "C'mon guys, don't chicken out!"  
  
"What." Danny repeated. How the hell did he actually get into this situation? Out of all things that could've happened tonight, he had not expected this. He glanced at Vlad, who seemed very uncomfortable and nervous. His cheeks were so pink that he wasn't sure if the man was going to faint or not.   
  
"Don't be shy, dearies." Lunch Lady chimed in, folding her hands together and resting them against her cheek in a romantic gesture. "Just give each other a quick peck."  
  
"I am the Box Ghost! You two should kiss!" Boxy said, putting an arm around Lunch Lady. "Beware!"  
  
Vlad looked down at Danny. "We're not doing this, right?"  
  
"I don't think they're going to let us out of this," Danny grumbled. He pointed up at the mistletoe. "Why did you even put this here?! Did you know we were under it all this time?"  
  
"Of course not!" Vlad looked baffled at the accusation. "I didn't even put it up! Why would I? It's not like I'm trying to play matchmaker! Someone else must've put it up!"  
  
"I-I don't know!" Danny hissed back. "Whatever! Just kiss my hand or something." He held his hand out to him.  
  
Vlad rolled his eyes before grabbing Danny’s hand and giving his knuckles a quick kiss. Danny’s blush deepened and he slowly lowered his hand.   
  
"Boooo!" A few of the other ghosts yelled. "That's not good enough! We want a real kiss!"  
  
"Aw, that can't be it!" Spectra pouted. "You guys can do better than that. Come on, make it a little more interesting!"

"Yeah, do better than that!" Ember said.

"Guys, don't peer pressure them!" Sidney tried to calm everyone down, but his voice sadly went unheard. Danny appreciated the effort, though.   
  
"Ancients, this was not how I wanted today to go." Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled under his breath as the other ghosts continued throw words of unwanted encouragement at them. 

"Fine!" Danny rose his voice, cracking under the pressure of everyone pushing them. Everyone went silent at his outburst. "You want a good kiss? I'll give you guys one!"  
  
Vlad barely had enough time to look down at Danny in utter mortification before the teen grabbed a part of his cape to pull him down and crush their lips together. The man flinched initially at the contact and let out a startled "umph!" but since Danny wouldn't let him move away he seemed to just go with it. Their lips move together for a few moments. Danny was surprised by how soft Vlad’s lips were-- it wasn't like the few times he'd fake-out-made-out with Sam. She always had lip gloss on, and it was always a little weird and... slimy. But this... somehow felt better? This was just confusing.  
  
They both pulled away from each other and turned to the other ghosts, who were all cheering happily at the fact that they managed to get them to kiss. Ember threw herself at Danny and pulled him into a hug again.   
  
"I'm so proud of you, kid!" She giggled. "Taking charge like that, I never would've expected it! Seriously, I thought you guys were gonna chicken out!"

"Good job, Danny!" Kitty said.

"Yayy!" Dora clapped happily.  
  
Danny’s face felt like it was on fire as he slowly and politely pushed Ember off. "Um. Thanks." He looked at Vlad, who was now facing away from him and seemed preoccupied with Skulker, who looked more horrified by the situation than Danny felt on the inside. He turned back to Ember. "I'm gonna go... get some air."  
  
"Aw, alright." Ember pouted. "I guess I'll see you later then, Phantom." She ruffled Danny's hair before leaving to go get more drinks with Kitty and Dora.   
  


* * *

  
  
Danny pulled his knees up to his chest as he looked down at the rest of the city, blinking to himself a few times in utter disbelief. He just _kissed_ Vlad Plasmius. He gingerly touched his lips, feeling the lingering warmth. That was definitely one of the strangest experiences he'd ever had. And that was saying something, considering that he dealt with strange things every day.   
  
Currently, he was sitting on the roof of Vlad’s ridiculously large mansion. He didn't feel like going home, even though he'd just done something so embarrassing. Danny groaned and scrubbed his hand over his face. He couldn't believe he'd done that! Just what had gotten into him? He supposed a lot of it had to do with peer pressure, but somewhere he knew that it wouldn't be all that awful. Sure, he and Vlad were enemies, but he did have to admit that the man was pretty darn attractive. In that pompous overconfident sort of way.   
  
Danny sighed and started to draw in the snow with his finger. It was the perfect weather for him. Ever since his ice core started to present itself, he found himself enjoying colder things. Of course, he still liked some warm things, like his mother's hugs and hot food, but he could hardly stand the heat in the summertime. He used to love it, but now he ran too cold to appreciate it much anymore. Snowy weather was nice and relaxing and it felt so much more natural than anything else. He supposed that's why Frostbite and his people lived in the Far Frozen. The cold was comforting to ghosts with ice cores. It was definitely helping him relax right now, especially after what just happened. He'd have to apologize to Vlad later.  
  
"So this is where you ran off to, Little Badger."   
  
Danny whipped his head around in shock to see Vlad hovering a few inches over the roof with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Uhhhh..."  
  
Vlad sighed. "Don't worry, it's still Christmas. I don't plan to fight you." He slowly floated his way over to Danny and sat down next to him with his legs crossed. The snow on the roof around him quickly started to melt in a small radius around him.  
  
"E-even though... I kissed you?" Danny asked, leaning away a little nervously. He was glad that Vlad seemed pretty docile, but that could just be because of the truce. He had to get a read on whether or not Vlad was going to barge into his room in a rage looking for a fight tomorrow morning.  
  
Vlad shook his head. "We were pressured. I don't blame you."  
  
Danny relaxed slightly. "Well, I'm sorry anyway." He rubbed at the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "It really must've freaked you out."

It freaked Danny out. Even though he's the one who initiated it.

Vlad looked at him, his cheeks turning a little pink. "Maybe at first, but it wasn't _that_ awful."  
  
Danny blushed too. "Yeah, um... well, it wasn't the worst."  
  
They both stared at each other for a moment, and it quickly grew awkward. Danny let out out nervous laugh and looked away.   
  
"Wow... I can't believe we kissed." He said, shaking his head. It was just so weird to think about, and really, he should be freaking out more. But for some reason, that didn't seem necessary. He didn't know. Maybe the truce was just mellowing him out a little. "I never thought that we'd end up doing that."  
  
"Would you like to do it again?" Vlad asked.   
  
Danny nearly choked. "What." It was the third time he was saying that tonight. He looked at Vlad, his mouth gaping in shock. What the hell did he just say? He wanted to do it _again?_  
  
Vlad seemed paralyzed for a second, like he hadn't expected those words to come out of his own mouth. It took a moment before Vlad was able to compose himself. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure about you, Little Badger, but if I make out with someone I'd rather do it because I make the choice to, and not because I was pressured into it by some mistletoe."  
  
Danny scratched the back of his head. He couldn't believe Vlad just asked him that. "Yeah, mistletoe isn't as romantic as people make it out to be."  
  
"Right?" Vlad laughed. "What's so romantic about being forced to kiss someone while others watch?"   
  
Danny laughed with him. "You sure you're not just making up excuses so you can kiss me again?"   
  
Vlad grinned. "Why else would I offer, Daniel?"  
  
Danny buried his face in his hands and groaned. His stomach felt all fluttery in that way it did whenever he had a crush on someone. He felt so flustered right now. Why was this happening to him? "Why doesn't this feel as messed up as it is?"   
  
Vlad leaned back on his hands. "Perhaps it's because our relationship is already pretty fairly messed up. We're supposed to be family, kind of, and we even pretend to be sometimes. But in actuality, we're enemies who constantly fight. Not only that, we're the only two existing half deceased people in existence and we'd probably give our lives for each other. Nothing about our relationship makes sense. So what if it becomes a little taboo now as well?"  
  
Danny thought about it for a moment. Vlad was right. Their relationship was already so messed up that it wasn't that shocking that it just became a little more messed up. He looked at Vlad, who was gazing out at the city with a thoughtful expression on his face. The teen slowly rested his head on his knees and watched the man carefully. He didn't hate the idea. Vlad wasn't a good person, but he wasn't completely awful either. Nobody bantered better with Danny than Vlad did, and nobody else could ever understand him as much as Vlad could. Plus, he was... attractive. He supposed the fact that Vlad was in love with his mother was a little weird, especially right now, but... that would definitely change if he and Vlad crossed that line any further than they already had. 

If Vlad wasn't his enemy, then... he wouldn't be too opposed to kissing Vlad. And right now, they weren't enemies. Might as well make the best of it while they have the chance, right?  
  
"Okay," Danny said quietly. "We can try it again."  
  
Vlad looked at him, his eyes widening slightly. "I thought you'd decline."  
  
Danny giggled. "Did you want me to decline?"  
  
Vlad thought for a moment. "No. I... I wanted you to say yes. Is that bad?"

"Maybe." Danny shrugged, lifting his head up. "But if it's tonight, I don't care."

"Only tonight?" Vlad asked, smiling a little sadly.   
  
Danny scooted a little closer to Vlad, and immediately, he could feel the difference in temperature. It wasn't as unpleasant as he'd thought it would be. Maybe the warmth of Vlad’s core was just one of the warm things that Danny could actually enjoy. Vlad placed his hands on Danny’s cheeks and it was so warm. It had been a while since Danny had truly enjoyed warmth like this.

"Maybe," Danny swallowed nervously. "I don't know what'll happen tomorrow."

"Neither do I." Vlad said.  
  
Their lips connected much more gracefully this time, and it felt deeper than before. Like it meant more. It wasn't clear who initiated it this time, but all that mattered was that it was happening. Their lips moved in sync, and it felt right. It felt like they were made to fit together, just like this. Vlad tasted like something sweet that Danny didn't recognize-- it wasn't that surprising, since all the curses that came out of the man’s mouth were deserts. Seems like Vlad had a bit of a sweet tooth.   
  
They didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, once the truce was over. Maybe Vlad would start scheming again and they'd both pretend this night never happened. Maybe they'd forget all about what the felt tonight. Maybe they'd fight and go back to hating each other. There was no way to know, since they were both so uncertain about what to do next. The future was something that only Clockwork could see, but he didn't plan on revealing anything to anyone.  
  
But maybe... _just_ maybe... this would be the start of something new. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a Hufflepuff! What are you guys? All my friends always end up being Slytherins lol.


End file.
